About Us

About Cheryl Sharp:

Cheryl has a wealth of experience in a variety of different industries, all of which bring a depth of knowledge and understanding to her project management skills.

After studying marketing and retail in college, Cheryl became immersed in the fishing industry by owning and actively operating gillnet and persainer boats in Puget Sound and the Bearing Sea in Alaska.

Twelve years later, she relocated to Orcas Island in Washington State and became a bank operations manager. For 16 years, Cheryl worked in financing and real estate with both personal and commercial clients, while also teaching Karate to women for self defense.

Cheryl helped to design and build her own home on Orcas, and experience that contributed greatly to her knowledge of residential and commercial construction and deconstruction.

She got her start in the building material and construction industry at a custom cabinet manufacturing facility in San Diego, where she was assistant manager, working with designers on remodel projects as well as new construction.

Cheryl joined TRP in 2005 and currently serves as TRP Regional Manager for the Southern California counties of San Diego, Orange, Riverside and South Los Angeles. She has coordinated more than 150 deconstruction/donation projects in La Jolla, Rancho Santa Fe, San Diego, Carlsbad, Del Mar, Encinitas, La Mesa, Del Sur, Carmel Valley and other communities.

In addition to doing the right thing by keeping building materials out of local landfills, Cheryl’s clients have received over $25 million in tax-deductible donation value.

About The ReUse People:

Since 1993, architects, contractors and building owners have relied on TRP to keep reusable and recyclable building materials out of overburdened landfills. By de-constructing (instead of demolishing) a building, TRP is able to salvage up to 80 percent of the materials and channel them back into the marketplace through donations and sales at its network of retail outlets. These services are among the first steps in the green building process. Furthermore, tax-deductible donations of reusable materials to TRP, a nonprofit 501(c)3 corporation, provide a faster payback and better return-on-investment than any other product or service offered by the green building industry. For more information on the company and its services, visit the TRP website at www.thereusepeople.org.

About Deconstruction

Deconstruction is the process by which a building’s reusable fixtures and framing are carefully removed and salvaged. The deconstruction process prepares the site for new construction or building renovation.

In a full deconstruction, the entire structure is carefully dismantled in the reverse order from which it was built. A qualified deconstruction contractor and crew of skilled workers salvage all reusable fixtures and framing lumber, leaving a clean site.

In a partial deconstruction the process is the same, but involves only those portions of the building being renovated or remodeled. For example, a kitchen remodel would remove cabinets, countertops, sinks, appliances and other fixtures targeted for replacement.

Fixtures are anything that is not part of the framing—doors, lighting, sinks, bathtubs, toilets, vanities, appliances, cabinets, windows, wood flooring, etc. Framing lumber includes rafters, wall studs, ceiling and floor joists. Wood siding, bricks and roof tiles are also salvaged.

Deconstruction is growing in popularity for several reasons:

• When reusable materials are donated to a qualified nonprofit such as The ReUse People, the donor receives a substantial tax deduction that may offset the cost of deconstruction.
• Used materials sell for cents on the dollar. This gives consumers a wider range of choices and helps them save money. Stores that sell salvaged building materials are similar to thrift stores.
• Deconstruction reduces the flow of materials clogging overburdened landfills and extends their life.
• Salvaged materials do not have to be replaced with newly manufactured materials, which saves energy.
• Deconstruction is labor intensive and requires trained workers, adding private sector jobs to the economy.

In 2007 the USEPA estimated that approximately 250,000 single-family residences are demolished and landfilled every year. Demolition waste represents up to 55 percent of the solid waste stream. Deconstruction and building-materials reuse can easily cut that number in half.

About the process

Here is all you need to do:

1. Receive an appraisal consultation: TRP will have independent, IRS qualified appraisers assist you in determining a preliminary value of your donation at no obligation to you. If you choose to move ahead with the project, the appraiser you hire will complete the full evaluation and all necessary documentation.

2. Get a free deconstruction bid: A TRP-Certified Deconstruction Contractor will submit a bid to carefully deconstruct your building to TRP specifications.

3. Donate: Email or fax the Donation Letter to TRP. This letter states you intend to make the donation (for IRS purposes) and identifies your appraiser and TRP-Certified Deconstruction Contractor. Note: your tax deduction cannot be processed without our receipt of this letter.